When the World Wants You
by Jadewing47
Summary: With Robin missing with a dangerous threat and most likely severely injured, Batman looks back on his many mistakes with Robin the past few weeks and how Robin's depressions caused more and more difficulty in battle. He's got to find Robin, before it's too late. DISCLAIMER: THIS STORY IS ADOPTED FROM TINYFLYINGFERRET, THE IDEA IS NOT MINE (MORE DESCRIPTION INSIDE)
1. Chapter 1

**Hi guys! This story is adopted from TinyFlyingFerret. The idea is not mine, however I will probably change some of the content from the chapters already posted by TinyFlyingFerret, and then of course the continuing chapters after that will be my own. Shout out to TinyFlyingFerret for letting me adopt this story, I really think it could go far! As I have never adopted a story before, please leave a review. Check out the description for the summary of the story and feel free to review with content suggestions for the brand new chapters I will soon create. I love to read your reviews (and PMs!) and I will consider any idea you send me, but please do not be offended if I don't use it. I'm hoping to mold this into a huge fanfic, like my story, A Dark Secret (check it out if you haven't already, and the sequel Secrets Have Aftermaths) which I will be working on as well.**

 **Okay enough of my silly drabbling, on with the story!**

 **-Jadewing47**

* * *

"If the world wants you, it's gonna keep on coming till it gets you. And who am I that can fix it? Who am I that can change this if the world wants it so badly? Who am I to stop the end of the world if it keeps on coming?"  
-Patrick Ness

oOo

"Is it not appropriate that the most precious among us are ignored until the day they are truly needed, and by then they are forever gone?"

Alfred had a point, but Alfred always had a point. _When was he ever wrong?_ Bruce groaned internally. This was ridiculous, waiting like this for something good to happen. Bruce knew he should have listened to Alfred when there was a chance to do something about this problem. This problem he _hadn't_ seen coming. How on Earth had he not seen this coming? He was Batman! He was supposed to see everything coming, _especially_ when it concerned Dick. Oh, for God's sake, how had be _not_ seen this coming?!

oOo

 ** _Two Weeks Earlier..._**

"No. Not this time."

"But why?! Bruce, I never get to see him outside of team business- And I can't be myself around them! Bruce, come on, just for a few hours, I promise I won't-"

"Dick, the answer is still no. I have important business to do today for Waynetech and I can't have this place in uproar while I'm working."

"But it's just Wally! And Alfred will make sure we don't-"

"Talk back one more time and you'll be grounded- _Robin too_. I have made my decision and I am going to stick to it, understood?"

"Yes," Dick whispered, sighing, and he turned out of Bruce's study, making his way back to his room. And that's when Alfred showed up, a word of advice on his tongue as usual. "Master Bruce, if I may, perhaps Master Dick had a point. It would not be too much trouble for me to supervise them in their escapades, would it? It is true that Master Dick has had far less interaction with Wallace than is good for quite some time. Perhaps you can make an exception."

 _And there you go again, Alfred._ The man was practically Bruce's conscience, not like he didn't do enough for Bruce besides that. Bruce was just one of those stubborn people, however, that had a particularly hard time listening to this conscience of his. "Not today, Alfred. Maybe another time."

 _Not today, Alfred._

Alfred had, of course, seen it coming. Today was a stressful day for Bruce. It was _that day_. The day that, despite having transpired years ago, burned the scars it had inflicted then with every bit as much fury now. And so Alfred let it pass. Master Dick didn't understand why Master Bruce was so tightly wound today, but tonight, Batman would most likely take a detour in his crime-busting for the night to leave a flower lying in Crime Alley, and then Robin would surely understand.

Bruce didn't mean to be so harsh with Dick, he really didn't. What he had said was true, though, today was a busy day. He had Waynetech work and Batman work to take care of before he went on patrol tonight. He really didn't want to consider not bringing Robin along tonight, but if this argument kept up, Bruce's word would have to hold.

 ** _That night..._**

"Bane is having a Mexican drug cartel transport a shipment tonight. This could be big."

Robin knew better than to say anything.

"Our objective is clear. Stop the transport. And, of course,your usual job still applies; watch my back."

A quick nod.

The ride in the Batmobile was silent, the stakeout at the docks was silent, even as Batman and Robin took Bane and his goons on, everything was silent.

Surprisingly, even the goons weren't too chatty. An occasional gasp when a caped hero appeared out of nowhere and a grunt of pain when a swift and well-placed kick, punch, or jab would knock them unconscious.

Then Bane came out of the shadows and narrowed his eyes at the two silent partners. "How predictable of you. Coming and trying to...stop me." He spoke as if it was utterly ridiculous even to try stopping him.

Batman shot Robin a glace that rather obviously ordered him to go destroy the shipment that sat harmless on the dock.

"But, Batman!" He argued desperately.

" _Don't question my orders!"_

Batman's menacing growl urged Robin into action, despite how boring and action-less the command was. Robin complied and fired his grappling hook, soaring to the boat that has the shipment abroad. And when he got there, it was a few simple moves to plant dozens of little explosives, all with his little cackle echoing from them, however not as gleeful as usual. He cleared the dock in seconds and covered himself with his cape as a precaution when the explosion broke in the sky and light burst outwards.

When the heat died out a little he turned to see Batman engaged with Bane in what looked like a fast-paced and exciting battle. He was Robin, it was hi job to help. he dashed across the pavement to Batman eager to help.

It took a split second for everything to go wrong.

One of Bane's men had regained consciousness and slipped a knife out of his boot, putting all his energy into that one stab. The stab that caught Batman unaware in the side.

While the exertion was enough to end the goon back into the realm of unconsciousness, Bane simply halted his attack and looked on amused. Batman speechlessly collapsed on the pavement with a thud that seemed to jerk Robin into action, so that suddenly, with a rage known only to Batman, he was charging forward with a fierce intensity and throwing all his anger at Bane. He only barely kept the hot tears from sliding angrily down his cheeks so that they remained in his eyes, blurring his vision so that a blind rage overtook him. Never so fast as then had Bane been taken out. When he lay unconscious with his venom tube yanked out of his head, Robin sped to Batman's side and immediately inspected the wound. He frantically radioed Alfred as he check the pulse.

"Do you want me to come in the jet, sir?" Alfred's calm and reassuring voice questioned from the other end.

"I...Yes," Robin whispered. _This is all my fault!_ He screamed to himself. _He told you to watch his back, and you just rushed right in without even looking! You failed, now Bruce could die and you will be alone again!_

Robin finally released his pent up tears as the pulse began to slow.


	2. Chapter 2

"Perfection is not attainable, but if we chase perfection we can catch excellence"

-Vince Lombardi

oOo

Kid Flash was a little bit noisy when he ate, but he tried to keep it down as much as possible when in public. That wasn't enough for everyone, though, especially not Artemis.

"Would you quiet down?!" she hissed for the thirteenth time. Standing in a movie theater munching as loudly as possible seemed to Artemis like the perfect way to ruin an evening. _If you can even call it that,_ she thought. _This showing is at midnight, and I'm already about to fall asleep._

"Where's Robin?" Megan wondered. It wasn't every day that all six of them got to go on an outing together. "He said he would be here."

"Does he have patrol?" Kaldur wondered quietly, adjusting his turtleneck. It would be a major disaster if his gills were discovered while he was in public like this.

Wally sighed and swallowed his popcorn bite. Even with the extra large size, it would be gone before they sat down. "I texted him to ask if he could come. Batman must have said not to this, too."

Conner raised an eyebrow. "You asked him before?"

"If I could go to his place. I kind of expected Bats to say no to that one. But, come on, hanging with the whole team? AND no identity worries. No one wonders why you're wearing shades if you're watching a 3D movie. Dang, I forgot to tell him what we were seeing, maybe he didn't like the movie choice...?"

Artemis suppressed the urge to slap him upside the head. "When does Robin ever NOT text back immediately, dork? It's like you two were separated at birth or something..."

Kaldur looked around the theater and checked his watch. Turning to the others he made the decision. "The film will start in ten minutes. If he is not here in five, we must go see it without him. If he has not answered, perhaps something else is more... engrossing."

oOo

"Engrossing" did not begin to describe the situation. Robin was on his knees, pleading his mentor to say something, willist attempting to fight off a panic attack.

"Batman, _please_! Come on, get up! Please wake up, I _need you_!" It had always done the trick for him, when Robin himself was unconscious. Imploring the subconscious to listen to a call of desperate need. Dick needed to feel wanted, it was the circus in him. Growing up in a world of wonder with passionate people who were all lose as family and extremely affectionate left its mark. He would've answered to a needy call.

Bruce wasn't like that, though. _Tell him something's wrong. Tell him the world needs him. Tell him you need him._

"Bruce, I can't do this alone. You have to wake up! You have to help me!" Trying not to envision the scolding that was sure to proceed whenever Bruce was able and had found out about Dick using his name in costume, or that he might soon be an orphan again. Robin's throat was suddenly dry, and he held back more waves of tears while gazing at his silent mentor.

White lenses lifted for a fraction of a second before drifting back into dreams. The panic attack Robin had been struggling to hold off was fighting back with greater force.

He checked and rechecked his pseudo father's declining heart rate, listened to his breathing, prayed on and off, yelled at Batman some more and eventually broke into a fresh wave of self blaming tears.

Then, in a quiet moment between sobs, a noise went off.

It took a second for Robin to realize someone was calling him on his comm link.

He sucked in a breath. _Idiot!_ He scolded himself. _Why was I not calling for help?!_

"Yeah?" He answered slowly, trying to gather his wits and go about this whole situation properly.

"Dude!" It was Wally, and he sounded somewhat ticked. "Are you coming or not? Because we're gonna have to go without you if you don't show in, like, five minutes. I even bought you a ticket, dude, but you weren't answering your phone. Oh yeah, about that, Artemis thinks you-"

Robin interjected before the speedster got carried away, panic overtaking him. "W-wally, I _need_ you. P-please!"

Wally stopped talking immediately, taking in the urgency and panic in his best friend's voice. "Bro, what's going on? Are you okay?"

"Batman's been s-stabbed and his h-heartbeat is fading. I can't get him anywhere as fast as you can and I-" He stopped for a breath when the words caught in his throat, amid choking tears. "-I just need someone-I need you-to h-help me. Pier 17, t-the docks."

"Happy Harbor. On my way, Rob, hang in there."

Robin nodded as the connection cut, almost wanting to ask Wally to stay on the line, but he didn't. He blinked back hot tears and then simply shut his eyes when he failed.

 _Failure. That's all I am tonight. That's all I ever am. I couldn't save my parents, and now I can't save Bruce. I didn't watch his back, rushing into everything, so impatient. How does Bruce put up with me? I'll be better, Bruce, I promise. Just don't leave me..._

"Here!" Wally's voice bounced across the pier as he skid to a stop, in full costume, and knelt next to the fallen Bat and the sobbing Bird. "I'm here," his tone was quiet and reverent, and unusual fit for him. He placed a comforting hand on Robin's shoulder and squeezed it.

"Can you carry him?" Robin whispered, wiping his eyes and meeting Wally's gaze.

The determination in his friend's eyes calmed the teary bird as the speedster replied firmly, "I will." In a blur, Kid Flash scooped up Batman and disappeared down the road.

Robin dropped his head into his hands and sank to his knees as his father zoomed to his chance of survival in the Cave, shrinking from a large dependable figure to a small black dot swept in a streak of yellow and gone in the blink of an eye.

 _Come on. You have to make it. You have to. I'll do anything. Just be alive, I don't wan't to be alone again..._

oOo

Artemis looked at the sliding door in disbelief. "So now the glutton has abandoned us too? Attached to the hip, those two. I mean it."

Kaldur again scanned the area and turned to the others, they simply walked out of the theater.

"So much for a movie," Megan sighed. When the others all looked at her, she blushed and defended herself, "Earth technology, it's all so interesting..."

Kaldur, checking the area to see if anyone else thought it refreshing to stroll around Theater Street in Happy Harbor at midnight and finding no one was that adventurous besides the four of them, pulled out his comm link and fixed it in his ear, calling Kid Flash and only getting silence.

His brow furrowed and the others became anxious. "Try Robin" Artemis suggested.

Robin picked up with a hoarse voice and a heavy heart, but at least he picked up. "Aqualad?"

"Robin!" The Atlantean answered, relieved, and then switched his comm to speaker mode. "Are you alright? Kid spoke a few brief words with you and then left suddenly. Do you know what the problem is?"

A moment of indecisive silence, and then, "Batman was stabbed in the side tonight."

Artemis gasped and Megan covered her gaping mouth with a hand, while Conner and Kaldur looked at each other with concerned eyes. "I will not press at this moment for an explanation, but can we help in any way?"

For a moment, only static and Robin's panicked breathing could be heard on the end of the line, before a small, "No, no you can't help."

Aqualad seemed hesitant to drop the issue, and persisted, "Are you sure? We could-"

" _No!"_ Robin snapped, swiftly cutting Aqualad off. The others, including Aqualad, were shocked at such a reaction from the Bird, whom was crying again. "It's my fault, my responsibility, I should-I should have..." Robin's breaths were panic struck and he knew if he did not calm down he was going to have a panic attack. "I'm sorry; there is nothing you can do. I-I have to go..."

Robin cut the link.

As the team stood there, shocked and slightly frightened of the behavior of the little Bird, Superboy did some speculating. "Kid Flash is running Batman to the Batcave. That's why he wouldn't answer. Robin's probably making his way to the Cave, too, from wherever he is."

"Batman...stabbed..." Artemis mumbled to herself. It seemed impossible. Batman was an invincible titan. A dark knight that dwelt in never-dissipating shadows.

"I wonder how it happened?" Miss Martian whispered, suddenly afraid to use her outside voice.

"We will know when we need to. For now, we make our way to Mount Justice," the leader once again made th group decision and the four heroes went jogging to the camouflaged bioship, hidden in the woods.

oOo

Robin swung from building to building, landing briefly on each rooftop before flying to the next one. His every thought, every ounce of energy, was on following Wally and following the dark mass he held. Visions of the blood bwteen his gloved fingers, the fleeting seconds in which white orbs flitted open, and his parent's broken bodies on the floor pushed him harder and harder, faster and faster.

All of him pushed for the Cave.

oOo

 **Hi everyone! I hope you are enjoying this so far! Please leave a review, it makes my day when you do! :D**


	3. Chapter 3

"Even the smallest person can change the course of the future."

-Galadriel

oOo

Alfred never went without worrying when it came to the Bat-business, that was for sure. He would call Batman when he was out too long, and he would hastily call Robin when Batman did not pick up. If all else failed he would make two calls; one to Dr. Leslie Thompkins and one to Superman, asking Leslie to hurry over with her medical supplies assuming severe injury, and asking the Man of Steel to find the location of his charges, and most definitely staying in constant contact.

When Alfred received the panicked call from Robin, he immediately went to the BatJet, only to find that the fuel had not been refilled. Without means to pick up the fallen Bat and panicked Bird, Alfred could only hope that Wallace would arrive quickly.

oOo

Kid Flash knew he was headed in the right direction when he saw the dark castle of Wayne Manor appear in his field of vision. He made a straight for the Batmobile entrance and barreled right in, almost dropping Batman in the process. Alfred swiftly made his way over and placed his charge on the operating table. Kid Flash, deciding that Alfred had the situation under control, was about to call Robin when he spotted a small dark shape quickly moving in his direction.

"Robin!" Wally called his best friend as the boy landed in front of them silently. "Where is her?" the urgent voice was somewhat raspy, Robin's small form clearly shaking. Wally would have liked to embrace his friend, but instead he quickly pointed to the operating table in the cave. Robin brushed past and was drawn into an intense but very quiet conversation with Alfred. Another noise drew Wally's attention back to the sky, where Superman's bright colors greeted them. The Boy Scout landed, offering Kid Flash a small nod before hurrying after Robin.

Wally still said nothing when a grey-haired woman dressed in medical clothes rushed to the small group forming around Batman as well. Knowing he would only get in the way, Wally waited patiently until Superman awkwardly made his way back to Wally and said, after clearing his throat, "Looks like I'm not needed after all. I'm taking you back."

Wally frowned at this news, wanting more than ever to hold his Bird, knowing that Dick must be thinking of his parents, freaked out about being alone again. However, knowing causing a scene about his departure would only make matters worse, he followed Superman, spotting the woman and Alfred rushing about and helping Bruce while Robin sat on another examination table, with his gloves, boots, and vest already taken off and already part way through pulling off his shirt. "Thanks Wally," he mumbled in Kid Flash's direction as he made his way to the zeta tube. Wally, seeing Robin's shaking hands, made a quick detour in his route. Superman did not object and neither did the other adults, so Wally continued on his way to Robin. Placing a gentle hand on his shoulder as he did on the docks, he squeezed it and murmured, "I'll call you tonight, okay?" Robin sniffled, nodded, and hugged Wally tightly, as if afraid he would leave him and never come back. This only made Wally more guilty about leaving, but he knew he must, so, with one last squeeze, Wally walked back to Superman and through the zeta tubes and into Mt. Justice. Wally grabbed his things, not even glancing at the team. Although they were bursting with questions, one look at Wally's dark face had them stepping out of his way, even Artemis.

For each and every one of them, the entire night was simply awkward. Thoughts of Batman's injury, Wally's odd behavior, and Robin's predicament swirled around in their restless brains until sleep overtook most of them.

oOo

Leslie peeled off her gloves and wiped her sweaty forehead with the back of her hand.

Robin was automatically looking up at her expectantly, waiting for a report. The doctor looked at him and, deciding his own injuries could wait to be examined until afterwards, sat next to him and sighed.

"The knife itself didn't hit anything major. He's got a pretty tender wound, though, so he definitely needs to rest and make sure to not pull his stitches. He has no other concerning injuries except for the stab wound in his side, of course, so I cleaned and stitched it up. It will naturally heal on its own, but he's already lost quite a bit of blood so the only thing he can do now is sleep. Make sure he does absolutely no strenuous activities and keep a watch out for internal bleeding. I don't want him pulling his stitches and bleeding out even more."

Alfred, who stood nearby with Bruce, cowl-less and without some parts of his suit, affirmed Leslie's requests and went in cleaning up after the medical crisis.

Robin let out a satisfied sigh before peeling off his mask and burying his head in his hands. Leslie drew him close and rubbed his back for him while he silently cried tears of relief. "So," she asked to lighten the mood. "Which baddie was it this time?"

Dick looked up and rubbed his eyes. "Bane."

Leslie nodded and continued rubbing his back. Having finished his cleaning of the area, Alfred looked up and hurried over. "My goodness, Master Dick! You must be freezing in only your leggings! Why don't we put on some tea and rest in bed..." Walking off with the silent boy, the butler looked over his shoulder and said to Leslie, who was gathering her equipment together, "Thank you very much, Dr. Thompkins, for your services and on such short notice. I believe I can handle these two for now. If something comes up I will contact you."

Dick barely touched his tea. Alfred looked sadly at the boy and helped him upstairs, leaving him with a short message of "Goodnight, Master Dick. Sleep well." But Dick knew he couldn't do that. Not if the nightmares tormented him again tonight. And he had no doubt that they would. Sometime throughout the night, Dick's phone vibrated, a ridiculous photo of him and Wally covered in cookie dough flashing on the screen. Dick could not bring himself to pick up, because he knew Wally would ask what had happened, and Dick didn't want him to know what a failure he really was. After four missed calls, he received a text.

 _Whatever happened tonight dude, it wasn't your fault. Batman's okay, everyone is okay. You aren't loosing anyone anytime to sleep, call me when you feel ready._

 _Wally._ He knew Dick too well. But he also didn't know what happened. He didn't know that it really was Dick's fault, and Bruce may never want him to be Robin again. 


End file.
